Mastitis in Non Breastfeeding Person?

I was 20, when I got my first care of mastitis. I got it several times until I was 25. I had to be hospitalized the first time, for a little over two weeks. I didn't know what it was, and I was in college. I felt really terrible, but it was during exams. I thought I was just getting a virus or something. Then, one day...I looked at my breast after the shower. Red spot. I was freaked out, but had an exam the next day. By that night my entire breast was red and hot, so I went to the ER. The internalist and breast specialist who came to see me over the next two weeks, said it's the worst case they'd ever seen. My immune system was low, because of the mastitis...so I developed cellulitis on the breast also. Yep. AWFUL. 2 weeks of IV drugs, and prescription drugs when I got home.

I was told, red is inflammation. (Bad.) Hot is infection. (Bad.) AT the very least, she needs to get it looked at. I went through the routine cancer checks, because mastitis can mimic an aggressive cancer. Thankfully, mine was just a nasty infection. She should get it checked for that, just in case. She should NOT let mastitis go. It can get bad so fast. Most people do need a prescription to clear it up. I knew the signs, so all of my cases after the hospitalization only required a prescription.

A very serious type of breast cancer called inflammatory breast cancer presents with similar symptoms as mastitis. It is the most aggressive type of breast cancer with the highest mortality rate. I urge you to have your friend look into this just to be sure. I don't want to scare you but just make you aware. I have found some serious lack of knowledge out there about breast cancer from the med profession-even gyns.

Yes, I had mastitis one time when I wasn't nursing. The doctor had me do the hot compress thing and gave me a prescription for antibiotics if it didn't clear up on its own. It cleared up on it's own and I didn't need the prescription. Your friend should be able to do the same self-treatments as a nursing mom.

Yes, mastitis is possible without breast feeding.

What did her doctor do for her? Nipple piercings should not be the cause of mastitis. The doctor should have given her antibiotics. That's what mine did...it sucked. It hurt BAD.

A friend got it once, she was not breasfeeding. in fact she was still a virgin, she was at her late 20's. doctor told her that the red spot then sore arounf her breast was only because she needed to have a man (sex I assume). my friend left the doctor's office very insulted. well she had it for a long time, it cleared on its own she said, after she got married and lost her virginity. No sure this will help. that doctor was right. weird!